This study aimed to determine the specific cytokine profile in peripheral blood during the early onset of COVID-19 infection. This was a cross-sectional exploratory, single center study. A total of 55 plasma samples were studied. Serum samples of adults showing symptoms of COVID-19 infection who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection (CoV+, n=18) at the COVID-19 outpatient clinic of the Medical University of Vienna were screened for immune activation markers by Luminex technology. Additionally, age and gender-matched serum samples of patients displaying COVID-19 associated symptoms, but tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-, n=16) as well as healthy controls (HC, n=21) were analyzed. COVID-19 positive (CoV+) patients showed a specific upregulation of BLC (141; 74-189 pg/mL), SCD30 (273; 207-576 pg/mL), MCP-2 (18; 12-30 pg/mL) and IP-10 (37; 23-96 pg/mL), compared to patients with COVID19-like symptoms but negative PCR test (CoV-), BLC (61; 22-100 pg/mL), sCD30L (161; 120-210 pg/mL), MCP-2 (8; 5-12 pg/mL) and IP-10 (9; 6-12 pg/mL) and healthy controls (HC) (BLC 22; 11-36 pg/mL, sCD30 74; 39-108 pg/mL, MCP-2 6; 3-9. pg/mL, IP-10 = 8; 5-13). The markers APRIL, sIL-2R, IL7, MIF, MIP-1b, SCF, SDF-1a, sTNF-RII were elevated in both CoV+ and CoV- patient groups compared to healthy controls. HGF, MDC and VEGF-A were elevated in CoV- but not CoV+ compared to healthy controls. BLC, sCD30, MCP-2 and IP-10 are specifically induced during early stages of COVID-19 infection and might constitute attractive targets for early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 感染早期识别免疫激活标志物。

本研究旨在确定 COVID-19 感染初期外周血中特定的细胞因子谱。这是一项横断面探索性单中心研究。共研究了 55 个血浆样品。Luminex 对在维也纳医科大学 COVID-19 门诊经检测呈 SARS-CoV-2 感染（CoV+，n=18）呈阳性的 COVID-19 感染症状成人的血清样本进行了免疫激活标志物筛查技术。此外，还分析了显示 COVID-19 相关症状但检测为 SARS-CoV-2（CoV-，n=16）以及健康对照（HC，n=21）阴性的患者的年龄和性别匹配的血清样本。COVID-19 阳性 (CoV+) 患者表现出 BLC（141；74-189 pg/mL）、SCD30（273；207-576 pg/mL）、MCP-2（18；12-30 pg/mL）的特异性上调和 IP-10 (37; 23-96 pg/mL)，与有 COVID19 样症状但 PCR 检测阴性 (CoV-)、BLC (61；22-100 pg/mL)、sCD30L (161；120-210 pg/mL)、MCP 的患者相比-2 (8; 5-12 pg/mL) 和 IP-10 (9; 6-12 pg/mL) 和健康对照 (HC) (BLC 22; 11-36 pg/mL, sCD30 74; 39-108 pg /mL, MCP-2 6; 3-9. pg/mL, IP-10 = 8; 5-13)。与健康对照组相比，CoV+ 和 CoV- 患者组的标记物 APRIL、sIL-2R、IL7、MIF、MIP-1b、SCF、SDF-1a、sTNF-RII 均升高。与健康对照相比，HGF、MDC 和 VEGF-A 在 CoV- 但不是 CoV+ 中升高。BLC、sCD30、MCP-2 和 IP-10 在 COVID-19 感染的早期阶段被特异性诱导，可能构成对该疾病早期诊断和治疗的有吸引力的目标。120-210 pg/mL)、MCP-2 (8; 5-12 pg/mL) 和 IP-10 (9; 6-12 pg/mL) 和健康对照 (HC) (BLC 22; 11-36 pg/ mL，sCD30 74；39-108 pg/mL，MCP-2 6；3-9. pg/mL，IP-10 = 8；5-13）。与健康对照组相比，CoV+ 和 CoV- 患者组的标记物 APRIL、sIL-2R、IL7、MIF、MIP-1b、SCF、SDF-1a、sTNF-RII 均升高。与健康对照相比，HGF、MDC 和 VEGF-A 在 CoV- 但不是 CoV+ 中升高。BLC、sCD30、MCP-2 和 IP-10 在 COVID-19 感染的早期阶段被特异性诱导，可能构成对该疾病早期诊断和治疗的有吸引力的目标。120-210 pg/mL)、MCP-2 (8; 5-12 pg/mL) 和 IP-10 (9; 6-12 pg/mL) 和健康对照 (HC) (BLC 22; 11-36 pg/ mL，sCD30 74；39-108 pg/mL，MCP-2 6；3-9. pg/mL，IP-10 = 8；5-13）。与健康对照组相比，CoV+ 和 CoV- 患者组的标记物 APRIL、sIL-2R、IL7、MIF、MIP-1b、SCF、SDF-1a、sTNF-RII 均升高。与健康对照相比，HGF、MDC 和 VEGF-A 在 CoV- 但不是 CoV+ 中升高。BLC、sCD30、MCP-2 和 IP-10 在 COVID-19 感染的早期阶段被特异性诱导，可能构成对该疾病早期诊断和治疗的有吸引力的目标。与健康对照组相比，CoV+ 和 CoV- 患者组的 sTNF-RII 均升高。与健康对照相比，HGF、MDC 和 VEGF-A 在 CoV- 但不是 CoV+ 中升高。BLC、sCD30、MCP-2 和 IP-10 在 COVID-19 感染的早期阶段被特异性诱导，可能构成对该疾病早期诊断和治疗的有吸引力的目标。与健康对照组相比，CoV+ 和 CoV- 患者组的 sTNF-RII 均升高。与健康对照相比，HGF、MDC 和 VEGF-A 在 CoV- 但不是 CoV+ 中升高。BLC、sCD30、MCP-2 和 IP-10 在 COVID-19 感染的早期阶段被特异性诱导，可能构成对该疾病早期诊断和治疗的有吸引力的目标。